Opteka Professional Wrist Grip Strap for Digital & Film SLR Cameras
by Opteka
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Opteka Professional Wrist Grip Strap for Digital & Film SLR Cameras
Customer Review: A must have
Summary: 5 Stars
This device is an absolute must-have for any photographer. It allows your hand to completely relax while your hand is at your side, yet still grip the camera with no stress. I use it on my Canon 40D with a large L series lens and it's comfortable enough to carry the camera without a shoulder strap for several hours without tiring. I would never use a professional camera without one of these wrist straps. It's very secure and prevents accidentally dropping the camera while at the same time easing the amount of force necessary to hold or steady the camera.
The strap attaches to the right shoulder strap loop on your camera, and has an attachment that screws into the tripod mount on the underside of the camera. Even with the wrist strap connected, there is an additional loop provided so that you can also attach a shoulder strap if desired, though I've never used this feature.
Unlike Canon's wrist strap, this unit can be used without the battery pack. A friend recently dropped her camera and did severe damage to it as she wasn't using one of these wrist straps. It's a very inexpensive bit of comfort and insurance that you'll come to love.
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April 2011 update: I've been using this same Opteka wrist grip for nearly 3 years on my Canon 40D and more recently on a Canon 5D Mark II. It's worked beautifully and is as durable and good looking today as it was when I bought it. I am absolutely delighted with it and have nothing but raves for Opteka. I can walk around for hours holding my heavy camera and Canon's 24-105mm L series lens using only the Opteka grip and have no fatigue whatsoever. I've attached a shoulder strap to the camera's other strap loop and the base of the Opteka grip, and it works great if I need a shoulder strap. Even after 3 years I still consider this item a must have for both professional and amateur photographers.
Customer Review: The "Yellow" of the "Egg"...
Summary: 5 Stars
As a pro with more than 30 years in the business, I have never used this type of camera strap - I always wiped it away as a "Micey Mouse Thing".
Now, after all these years I finally purchased one and I can't believe the difference...
Okay, much safer than hand carrying - but this is the secondary part - the important difference is the feel, and the sensitivity in the trigger-finger. While normally the fingers merely occupied holding the camera, you have now the weight different distributed and your fingers free for the actual important and sensitive task to push buttons, turn the wheel etc. A must-feel-experience!
I can't believe the difference! I just ordered the second one for another camera....
To go more in detail - my cameras are quite heavy and most of them have a battery grip. This makes the distance between tripod mount and upper strap attachment perfect for this hand strap. On most of my cameras I have about 4+ inches, adequate to have the strap snug around my hand - firm and comfortable at the right length. If I try the strap on a smaller camera with only about 2+ inches height, or without battery grip, the handling appears rather odd.
Therefore, if you have a larger camera, or use a battery grip, the opteka strap does amazing things for you. If your camera does not have a battery grip, you might not absolutely share my exhitement for it.
Either way, it is definitelly worth trying, considering the relative low price.
The quality appears okay and the looks is good. The leather part is actually some type of nylon or artificial leather - let's see how long this is holding up under heavy pro use.
Highly recommendable! Great price!
It takes a lot of hand shaking out of shooting and will definitelly help to get sharper pictures.
Customer Review: Hated the Neck Strap - Love this Hand/Wrist Strap
Summary: 5 Stars
Unless you plan on carrying your DSLR camera for hours at a time, neck straps are a big pain. They're bulky and always seem to get in the way, especially if you set the camera down or put it away between shots like I often do. The Opteka hand strap (it's not a "wrist" strap), eliminates the bulk, helps steady the camera while shooting, and is much more comfortable for carrying/holding the camera, especially for a smaller/lighter DSLR like the Olympus E620 or a super-zoom compact. But it must be adjusted properly to get the most benefit and comfort out of it. I, like some other reviewers here, have found that it works best if it lays across the knuckles while shooting rather than over the middle of the hand like it shows on the package photos. This is especially true if you have long fingers and use a smaller DSLR where the hand grip is smaller and the shutter and other controls are not positioned at the front of a large hand grip. I tried positioning the strap across the middle of my hand and found that I needed to bend my fingers in a very uncomfortable manner to properly access the shutter and other controls. With the strap properly adjusted (fairly loose) and laying across my knuckles, it works great. It took me about 30 minutes to get used to the feel and positioning. Now I love this strap and couldn't imagine not having one. I do put my hand further into the strap while carrying the camera for any length of time and then slide it forward to the knuckles to take some photos. The price is really good and the build quality is great. I have no idea why some other reviewers thought it was cheaply constructed. The only "con" I can think of is that it does get very warm if used for extended periods during the heat of the day. But that's probably true of any hand strap.Customer Review: Well built, not as comfortable or useful as expected
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought this after all the reviews claiming this is a 'must have' item for comfort shooting.
The Good:
- The item is, as most Opteka products, well built, with high quality materials and excellent finish.
- The tripod-mount plate is very useful as it allows mounting the Strap on cameras which don't have a handle on the bottom of the camera.
The Bad:
- The item is not as comfortable as I would have liked, and, if you tight it enough to transfer the weight of the camera to your hand instead of your fingers, the hand is left in such an orientation that its very uncomfortable handling the back buttons with the thumb, and, especially, the front dial with the index. The shutter is perfectly comfortable, but I prefer having access to most of the buttons as well.
- Mounting the Neck Strap AND the Hand Strap, while very straightforward on the Canon original Hand Strap, is not so straightforward on the Opteka, and any solution is awkward and/or unsafe. You can put both on the handle (a very, very tight fit!) but the wear is severe on both straps, or, you could hook the Neck Strap to the buckle on the Opteka grip, but it feels too flimsy to withstand the entire weight.
- Some have reported the ergonomics are better with a Gripped camera, and, while probably true, the whole idea of using the grip is to be able to keep your hand vertical for landscape and portrait pictures. Using the Hand Strap with a grip will require taking your hand off the Strap to shoot in portrait, which makes the Strap useless.
In Summary:
While the item is well built, I do not feel it's comfortable and/or useful. Took it off the very first day, probably will use the bottom plate for some DIY pano head or something similar.
Customer Review: This is like a cell-phone...but...
Summary: 5 Stars
You don't know how invaluable this is until you have it! I use it always! I first thought it'd be a silly tack-on piece that I would quickly take off but figured I'd give it a try for its sub $10 price tag. OMG! This thing is spectacular! The grip allows you to feel secure that you not only have your camera in hand, but also that you have the camera in hand for that quickly needed shot! No fumbling, no hand adjusting, no expensive and heavy camera dangling on your neck, just flip on and shoot all with one hand! The connector piece on the bottom is also thick so your pinky rests comfortably on it allowing further stability control and it's padded so your camera is secured to something that won't scratch it - great when you have to take it on and off the tripod. It's on all the time and it won't come off like the UV filter - invaluable!!! I'd easily pay triple the price knowing what I know now!
Here's an update after putting this on the Opteka Battery Grip. It still works great - even tighter feel and very solid in the upright (landscape position). The tall profile, however, may feel awkward as you hold the camera in portrait position as you have a new "appendage" in your palm versus the grip. Smaller hands may have issue with this. Also, the battery grip makes a great heavy stand so the camera doesn't tip over with a lens attached. This "appendage" prevents it from sitting flat and puts "some" angled pressure on the lens when tilt-sitting (though this was already the case without the battery grip). Nothing drastic - just some things to keep in mind - still a great thing and still would recommend as most pictures will be landscape and holding the camera secure is vital - especially now that it's heavier with the extra weight!